TV viewing, How Has It Changed?

Not so long ago, watching TV consisted of sitting around the TV set at a specific time, on a specific day and watching your favorite TV show. Nowadays, that has all changed and you can often watch your favorite content whenever you want.

There are still some restrictions, such as the availability of certain shows, and the ease in which you can locate content; but even so, the world of content consumption has come a long way, since the days of linear programming.

The New Way Of Watching TV

Although there are still people who choose to watch content, such as their favorite soap opera on the day of its showing, more and more people are opting to do otherwise. First, we had the option of Video of Demand (VoD) where you could select from lists of pre-screened content to watch at a later date. Of course, that content was not immediately available. And now, you have the option to watch via “start over” or “catch up”. This means you can start a programme again, from the beginning, to catch anything you have missed, or you can choose to watch the entire TV program directly after it has been screened.

The Problems For Media Companies

Delayed viewing of content has the potential to cause problems for media companies. However, the two main issues are the subject of current and future resolution. One of the problems media companies in the US and Canada have encountered is the fact that traditionally Nielson viewing figures have only taken account of views in the three days after initial broadcast in the US, and in the seven days after initial broadcast in Canada. This will be somewhat addressed by the release of “Digital Content Ratings” (DCR), expected later this year.
Another issue for media companies is the dynamics of advertising, when content is being viewed after the initial broadcast date. However, companies have the ability to use dynamic ad insertion (DAI), and their own campaign management systems, to insert dynamic advertising for future viewings of already screened content.

Integration Of Video Viewing Models With Regular Content

With the rise in popularity of online video content viewing, many media companies are competing by integrating access to purchasing and rental of content, TV everywhere and OTT, with their own content. The main issue with this is that access is not always straightforward, and is often segregated. More open access is required, so that viewers do not head straight for other options, such as Netflix and Amazon.

Access is one of the main parts of ongoing content viewing that needs some work. There is still room for improvement in the speed with which viewers can select content they want to watch. This could involve providing all content related to the favorite TV show, or actor, in one place. That being said, the viewing experience we have now is still far advanced from the days of purely linear viewing.

TV viewing, How Has It Changed?

Not so long ago, watching TV consisted of sitting around the TV set at a specific time, on a specific day and watching your favorite TV show. Nowadays, that has all changed and you can often watch your favorite content whenever you want.

There are still some restrictions, such as the availability of certain shows, and the ease in which you can locate content; but even so, the world of content consumption has come a long way, since the days of linear programming.

The New Way Of Watching TV

Although there are still people who choose to watch content, such as their favorite soap opera on the day of its showing, more and more people are opting to do otherwise. First, we had the option of Video of Demand (VoD) where you could select from lists of pre-screened content to watch at a later date. Of course, that content was not immediately available. And now, you have the option to watch via “start over” or “catch up”. This means you can start a programme again, from the beginning, to catch anything you have missed, or you can choose to watch the entire TV program directly after it has been screened.

The Problems For Media Companies

Delayed viewing of content has the potential to cause problems for media companies. However, the two main issues are the subject of current and future resolution. One of the problems media companies in the US and Canada have encountered is the fact that traditionally Nielson viewing figures have only taken account of views in the three days after initial broadcast in the US, and in the seven days after initial broadcast in Canada. This will be somewhat addressed by the release of “Digital Content Ratings” (DCR), expected later this year.
Another issue for media companies is the dynamics of advertising, when content is being viewed after the initial broadcast date. However, companies have the ability to use dynamic ad insertion (DAI), and their own campaign management systems, to insert dynamic advertising for future viewings of already screened content.

Integration Of Video Viewing Models With Regular Content

With the rise in popularity of online video content viewing, many media companies are competing by integrating access to purchasing and rental of content, TV everywhere and OTT, with their own content. The main issue with this is that access is not always straightforward, and is often segregated. More open access is required, so that viewers do not head straight for other options, such as Netflix and Amazon.

Access is one of the main parts of ongoing content viewing that needs some work. There is still room for improvement in the speed with which viewers can select content they want to watch. This could involve providing all content related to the favorite TV show, or actor, in one place. That being said, the viewing experience we have now is still far advanced from the days of purely linear viewing.